Get Away From the Edge
by BlueZeppelin
Summary: Jackie has been down for a while and it leads her to the Water Tower, alone and depressed. She wants to jump but will Hyde let her? During Season 8, after Sam left but before any Jackie and Fez business. JH. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
1. Chapter 1 Get Away From the Edge

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own "That '70s Show". I wish I did but…I don't…so I'll just continue writing fanfiction.**

**A one-shot set in the dreadful season 8, after Sam the stripper left but before Jackie decided she should be with Fez when…well in my opinion, she shouldn't.**

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**Special thanks to KarateKickGyrl87!**

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Jackie's eyes stayed clear on the ground, even though it was far. Her feet dangled in the air as her hair swayed in the wind. She pulled onto her jacket tightly and listened to the silence. It seemed she was always alone. But she had gotten accustomed to it with time. No one had a concern or care for her and she was just fine by herself.

Jackie Burkhart did not need her stupid ex that had dumped her for a whore, who everyday treated her like trash on the street and acted like they had never been together; he was dumbass anyways She didn't need her 'best friend' that dumped her for her ex's stripper wife and at times pretended she didn't exist. She was bitch anyways. She didn't need her mother and father that obviously never cared for her. And she didn't need anybody else around her.

She took her hands off the railing of the Water Tower and felt herself imagining what would happen if she fell. Would she get hurt like Kelso? Or die like Charlie? She silently hoped for the latter and felt her body inch closer to the edge. She didn't anybody and nobody needed her, absolutely nobody.

Her fingers quickly grasped the railing again; she can't do it, can't let them have the satisfaction of knowing she was done. But then again, she would be gone and it's not like anyone would even remotely notice. Or would they? She didn't the answer to that question.

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Hyde watched her from his car; what the hell was she doing? He knew she didn't like sitting down on the Water Tower without someone next to her. She barely liked being alone. Oh God, her hands weren't even on the railing. But why the hell should he care?

She had been doing this often, sitting on the Water Tower by herself in silence. But she usually stood up and slouched down onto the railing. He would know – he had used to do the same before he found her there. She stole his spot now he had to resort to drinking beer and feeling like utter crap until she decided to leave. That was the only reason he was here, waiting to reclaim his spot, nothing else.

He took his glasses off, set them down on the passenger seat, and got out of his car.

Why the hell was he leaving his car? She was his ex for God's sake. He got married after they broke up, sure the marriage was invalid but he didn't know – it was the principle that counted.

He missed her. It was all he could think of and it made him sound like a wussy like Forman. It wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to be damn Zen and cool all his life. He wasn't supposed to have feelings. Damn Jackie. Damn the whole world.

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"C'mon and get away from the edge," a voice commanded her. She bit her lip, Steven or what she should call him – Hyde.

"You can't tell me what to do, Stev– Hyde," she snapped, without looking to face him.

He raised an eyebrow and knew how stubborn she was. "Fine." He sat down next to her and glanced at her. "Then tell me what the hell you're doing here."

"That's no longer your concern, Ste– Hyde," she replied with Zen.

He stared at her. Was she using his Zen against him, the master of it all? Did she actually think she would win this? "Yes it is."

She scowled. "What are you, five?"

He almost chuckled at his words. "You gonna tell me why you've been here almost every night?"

Her head swung to look at him and she glared. "Have you been watching me?" she asked angrily.

He remembered his Zen and gave her an eye roll. "Don't flatter yourself, Princess. This is my spot."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't see _your_ name anywhere now do I?"

He ignored her and began to speak again. "Are you gonna tell why you're sitting on the edge by yourself when we both know you don't like it?"

"Are you gonna tell me when you'll leave?" she imitated. He chuckled and gave her a smile. She looked away and turned her gaze back to Point Place. If she jumped right now, this would be over. He wouldn't be sitting right next to her.

Her fingers lifted and her hands moved away from the railing. They moved to her lap and remained there.

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Sometimes it was like she was miles away but she was really right in front of him. He frowned. His hand right hand went to the railing and the other ran to hers. She turned to give a look and pulled her hand away. "Don't touch me," she warned.

He stared at her and let out a sigh. "I know what you're thinking and just stop it, Jackie." Her glances at the ground were too damn obvious. She wouldn't jump, she wouldn't.

"You don't know me at all, _Hyde_. You never did," she whispered.

_Hyde. _She called him Hyde. This was not like when she was starting to call him Steven but stopped and called him Hyde. She used to never call him by his last name like everyone else. Even all the other times they have broken up. "That's not true and you know it, doll. I know you better than anybody else," he told her.

Because he did. He knew what she was thinking by watching her. Of course there were times he would never know what she would, because she was completely unpredictable. And he loved it.

She scoffed and let out a bitter laugh. But then he began to wonder – when did she get this bitter? His mind shook it off. "Really? Because I don't think you ever knew me."

He looked at her. "I know you don't like being alone."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "But you left me alone didn't you?" she argued.

He grimaced. "I'm not the smartest person there is." With all the crap he put her through in the last year, he could take Kelso's King helmet away from him easily.

"But you sure act like you are, don't you?" she questioned.

He closed his eyes tightly and after a moment of silence he spoke up, "I really screwed up, didn't I?" It was barely a question; they both knew the answer without giving it much thought.

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She stared down on the ground, repeating his words over and over. _I really screwed up, didn't I?_ No freaking way you screwed up, she thought sarcastically, no freaking way.

She found herself rocking back and forth, from her thighs to be in the air to her thighs on the Water Tower. You don't even have to jump, she thought to herself, just push off. Push yourself off right in front of him and he'll feel guilty for the rest of his life.

And as her body pushed off she felt his grip on her arm. She turned to look at him and removed his grip off him once again but she found herself unsuccessful. She felt herself began to hit him, punch him, anything to get him to leave her alone.

"Jackie, would you knock it off?" he asked angrily.

"Get off me!" she almost shouted. He ignored her, got up and lifted her to her feet. "Stop!"

"C'mon," he whispered and led her to the ladder but she continued punching. He didn't do anything just remained still.

He watched her as she hit him with her anger and he tried to look her straight in the eyes.

She punched him with all her might, it felt like hours to her but it had been mere minutes. Then she was tired, so tired. She hadn't felt this drained since the last time she cried. But when she felt her hands go to her cheeks she felt tears. She always had to damn cry, she always had to show others her weakness.

His arms wrapped around her but she pushed him away. "No!" she yelled but it came out as a whisper. "You don't get to comfort me; you don't get to act like you did nothing wrong and that everything's OK because it's not!"

He didn't frown but instead remained – not Zen, not emotionless –_Steven_. The Steven that had cared for her. It took everything in the world to not let him comfort her when she noticed. She hadn't seen Steven for so long it had felt like he had disappeared without a word. It had been Steven she had missed for a long time, not Hyde.

"I know," he murmured to her. She stared into his blue eyes; she had always loved his eyes. "I know I screwed up, I realize how damn stupid I was but you know what I'm gonna do now?" She gave him a puzzled look. "I'm gonna fix it, I promise, doll.

"What if I don't want you to fix it? I don't need you, Ste –Hyde. I don't need you at all." It was the biggest lie she had ever said in her life.

"You may not need me but I sure as hell need you," he told her.

She looked away from him. "What makes you think I'll forgive you?"

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He sighed at her words. _What makes you think I'll forgive you?_ He knew she wouldn't make it easy for him. "Jackie, I'm sorry." She said nothing and he took her closer down to the ladder. "C'mon, doll." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath before going down the ladder. He followed after her and when they reached down he pulled her into his arms and repeated himself, "I'm so sorry, Jackie."

She wiped her tears and pulled away from his embrace. "Steven, no," she whispered softly.

He stared at her, she called him Steven. "Just let me fix this."

"What makes you think there's something to fix?"

He rubbed his eyes and shut them tightly."You don't even have to love me," he told her, "You don't have to do anything, doll. Just…just let me try to fix this." He was getting pathetic and he knew it but at moment it didn't matter.

"Steven, I really don't think there's anything left for us."

He was gonna have to talk and explain his feelings wasn't he? There goes his Zen. He shook his head at her. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to start, "Sam meant nothing to me. I was just trying to get over you." She winced at her name but said nothing. "Every time I burned you…I just wanted to get over you, doll. And I couldn't do it, nothing worked." She stared at him, unsure of what she should say. He pulled her closer to him. He took a deep breath and paused before saying, "Jackie, I love you."

She looked deep in his eyes, and gave a small smile. "I know."

"Just…let's just start over, doll."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "OK," she whispered. He could see how tired she looked, it was all his damn fault, in the last few months she was always tired. He wrapped his arms around her and she gave a weak smile without saying another word. He wondered how long it would until she would be loud and demanding again or in other words, how long until he fixed everything.

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**So what do you think? YES or No, just no? Leave a review, positive or negative (although if you're gonna leave a negative review can you please explain why it's bad so I can improve). Be completely honest, I'm pretty sure I can take it. **

**~BlueZeppelin**


	2. Chapter 2 Let Me Take You Home

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own a thing…. at all, really.**

**The chapter is a bit short (or shorter than I've done in the past for a story) I've decided to continue this for a bit, I'll see how it goes. I'm a little cautious though because I don't want to have to end up abandoning it because when a writer posts a story, it's implied that they promised to finish it.**

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Jackie stared into his eyes as he held her. Should she be doing this? He had hurt her time after time and each time she was the running to him. The answer was no.

She could remember the past few months perfectly. When she ran to him to explain that nothing happened with Kelso, Sam had came, declaring herself his wife and he let her. He LET her. He did nothing, absolutely nothing. He waved Sam around in front of her to spite her. It hurt, it hurt so much. Just the thought of it almost brought tears to her eyes.

He burned her, a lot, constantly, whenever he got the chance to make her look bad. And he had explained to her that he been trying to get over her but did he mean it? She didn't want to know the answer to that.

Was she only doing this for herself? That was logical, she had been miserable for so long and when she was with Steven…he made her happy as much as she hated to admit it right now.

She broke away from him and began to walk. She couldn't do this, he _will_ hurt her again. She was tired to have heartbroken. And a question rang in her head, why now?

She was Jackie frickin' Burkhart, she deserved to have him on his knees begging for forgiveness.

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He glanced at her while they walked to his car, or at least he figured she was walking with him to his car since she obviously didn't have one. "Jackie, how have you even been getting here?" he asked her. He had never given it much thought; she was just… there on the water tower.

She turned to look at him. She was being so quiet and in the clouds with thoughts. "I walk," she told him in a soft voice.

"You want me to drive you home?" he offered.

She shook her head at him. "I'm fine," she whispered, "really."

He stared at her. "Jackie, when I said I'm gonna fix this, I meant it," he paused, "Now get in the damn car."

She scowled at him. "No."

At least she was being her stubborn self, he thought to himself. "Jackie, c'mon."

She shook her head, getting more and more annoyed by the second. "Steven, when I said OK," she paused, unsure of what to say, "I said OK for myself but I change my mind I don't mean it, not at all. I told you before there is nothing to be fixed. " She crossed her arms and gave her best bitchy look.

He felt his heart drop. What the hell was she thinking? Changing her mind ten seconds after making a decision? "But you said –" He knew what she was doing, there was no way he was letting her win. "I'm just taking you home."

She ignored him and began to walk on the side of the road. No matter what happens, Jackie Burkhart will be stubborn as hell is hot. He sighed, walked towards her and threw her behind his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she yelled. Now he was the one to ignore her. Her legs kicked around and he winced at every kick to his stomach.

He did set her down, eventually, when she had finally given up on kicking him, on the ground near the car.

She glared at him furiously. "What is wrong with you?" she shouted.

He stared at her with widened eyes. Was she really asking what was wrong with _him?_ He should be wondering why she has this effect on him. He shook his head, ignoring her question. "What the hell are you doing to me?"

She raised an eyebrow with anger. "Excuse _me? _What am I doing to _you_? You're the one who just assaulted me!" she said with her arms crossed and fury burning her eyes.

"You're unbelievable." He shook his head. After a few seconds he calmed down and glanced at her. "Just let me take you home."

"Get away from me!"

"Jackie…" he trailed off.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" she questioned. He decided to remain Zen and stare at her. "You left me for a stripper and when the stripper leaves you come running back to me!" Her voice was getting louder and louder, releasing the anger she had for him in the past few months.

He feels the anger boil up in himself. "I didn't leave you for a stripper! You left me with her," he shouted.

"I _left _you with her?" she yelled. "How _dare _you! How dare you say that that!"

"You say I left you for a stripper but you didn't even care. You left me with her."

"You expected me to fight for you? Maybe I was tired of fighting!"

He took a step closer to her making her lean against the car. His lips went to her ear and whispered, "You just took it and acted like I didn't mean anything to you. I bet you were even happy, you could get with Kelso again and not feel bad for poor Hyde."

"Stop it," she whispered.

"You couldn't get enough from Kelso; he was always your first choice. No matter what I did, you would always love Kelso."

"That's not true!" she yelled causing him to back away. "I _never_ loved Michael like I love you. But you _neve_rgot that. You _always_ jumped to conclusions and never trusted me!" Tears began to spring out of her eyes and she tried to hold them back and took a deep breath. "You _never_ trusted me. When you saw me comforting Michael _you _jumped to conclusions and slept with a nurse! And when you thought I slept with Michael you married a stripper!"

"If you told me to leave her I would've," he whispered in her ear as he walked closer to her again.

"Do you honestly believe that?" she asked in a soft voice.

He stared her in the eyes and replied honestly, "Yeah, I do, doll."

"Well I don't," she told him with a shake of the head.

"Damnit Jackie, why do you think I went to Chicago? Because I don't give a shit about you?"

"Our whole relationship you never told me how you felt or that you even cared!"

"I told you once," he muttered.

"Right after you cheated on me doesn't really count, Steven Hyde."

"That doesn't mean I didn't mean it," he spit out but she decided to ignore him.

"In our whole relationship I never knew how you felt about me! I asked you if you wanted me to stay when I got the job opportunity of a lifetime! I would've given it up for you if you told me to!

"You left without giving me a chance to give you an answer," he yelled, losing his Zen completely.

"You got drunk at a warehouse!" She bit her lip. "It was obvious you were gonna say no so I left before you could completely humiliate me."

He stared at her appalled. "You never had faith in me."

She said nothing for a few seconds. "I came back didn't I? I never even left –"

"You didn't leave because your mom had your car!"

"If I really wanted to leave I would've found a way to get there! I stayed and all you could say to me was 'have a good trip'!"

He stared at her and walked to the water tower and leaned against the base. "What did you want me do, huh?"

"Something!" she cried out. "Anything! But you did _nothing_!"

He looked as if he was going to say something but he did not.

After a few seconds she continued to stare at him. "God, and you're not even gonna say something are you?"

He snapped back into his Zen quickly. "Whatever."

Her eyes showed fury that any man that thought straight would run away from but he remained leaning against the leg of the tower. She walked closer and closer to him. "You were the one that didn't fight for us, _Hyde_," she told him before walking away. And this time, he knew there was nothing else he could do today.

So he let her walk home; sure he followed behind her in his car but she didn't know that. He was sure of that. And when he watched her walk into the apartment complex he had made a promise to himself; he'd get her back, he told himself, he was dead without her.

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**I know people have asked me to continue this so I figured I would give it a chance. I have an idea in mind and it won't be too long. But thank you to those that told me to continue it :) and to really everyone that reviewed!**

**Please review and be completely honest. But if you're going to be negative about it, tell me what you don't like about it.**

**~BlueZeppelin**


	3. Chapter 3 You Jump, I Jump

**Disclaimer: ****Don't own any of this.**

**Next chapter up! I just want to thank everyone that reviewed and especially recent reviews that had told me to continue this even though I haven't posted a chapter in a few months! Which by the way, I am so unbelievably sorry! It was a mix of small writer's block and my extremely busy schedule getting in the way of things. But I did promise that I would finish this story and I keep promises. So chapter 3.**

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You Jump, I Jump

Jackie didn't have a clue why she was at the water tower. Maybe because Mount. Hump hurt too much, it was where her and Steven's date had been years ago. Maybe it's because she had spent many hours there every evening. It was almost a ritual to her. When it felt like the world was going to come crashing down, which was often, she came to the water tower.

But Hyde knew she would be there. She almost wanted him to be there. She wanted him to be on his hands and knees begging for her forgiveness like he should be.

No she didn't.

Dammit, she shouldn't want him. She should want him out of her life forever.

Her fingers gripped the railing tightly and her mind flashed to the one line that seemed stuck forever 'Jump'. She bit her lip and stared at the sky, the sun setting as beautiful as she had once thought, and told Steven, herself to be. Jump. The wind blew her curls back; she could remember telling Steven exactly how she did her hair. He even listened. Jump.

After yesterday, Hyde won't come; he's too 'cool' for emotion.

One jump and it was all over. No more thoughts about Steven, no more tears falling down her face. She could feel her body tremble and shake as she took at step back, pushed her body against the water tower and slid down.

Her eyes went wide, what was she doing with herself? How had she allowed herself to deteriorate to a pathetic old version of herself and become scared of Steven? There was a time when she had gone to him when she was scared, now she's running. And all she wants to do right now is run. Far away from this all and start over. No, she won't let him get that personal victory for himself.

Jackie could see the headlights of a car coming from a distance and soon the driver pulled up to the side of the road. Her heart starting beating so hard she wasn't even sure if it was healthy. She had always known that was his El Camino, she always knew he'd get drunk in his car, watching her then leave hours later when he finally sobered up. And she had always thought he'd stay in his car and never do anything.

He had come, she thought to herself; he had actually come for her. And she knows she should be angry and so she allows the anger inside of her boil.

He stopped his car and got out immediately. Much different from yesterday where he had been there for what had felt like an hour before coming up to her. He began to climb up and her heart beat grew faster and faster. She took a deep breath and decided the best tactic for when he would talk to her: Zen.

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"Why the hell are you doing this?" he asked her casually, with clear Zen in his voice. It was the only approach he could think of. She turned to look at him. Jackie sat on the cold metal of the water tower and he almost saw a sparkle near her eyes, she was tearing up.

"Excuse me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe I should ask you why you're watching me!" her voice grew louder as she spoke, "I'm not a child and you certainly aren't my babysitter. So I suggest you leave me alone!"

He stepped closer to her. "You didn't answer my question."

She scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't really care." She hugged her legs tightly and he watched her. She was falling apart right in front of him. It was all his fault, he knew. His fault for hurting her constantly, for pushing her down. There had been a time when he had thought her of her as the strongest person he knew.

She hit rock bottom. He reached out to grab her hand to help her up but she waved him away. "Don't," she whispered. He rolled his eyes, picked her up from the ground and set her on her feet quickly. She grasped the railing; one jump was all she needed.

He knew what she thinking, what she was doing and he couldn't let her. He refused to. "Dammit! Stop this Jackie! Whatever the hell you're doing, just stop."

"I'm not doing anything!" she yelled.

"Yes you are! Dammit!" He paused for moment, staring into her eyes, "You jump, I jump," he told her while putting his one hand on the railing.

"What?" she asked in a small and confused voice.

"You jump, I jump," he whispered. She stared at him for several seconds before pushing her body back and against the water tower. He wouldn't jump for her anyways. He was lying, she knew, but she refused to look into his eyes to find out the truth. He was reminding her of how he was before they broke up - no, before that, before she starting pushing him for commitment.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" her voice was quiet and soft and he knew what she was thinking. She didn't want to feel anything; he silently chuckled to himself, he felt like that for most of his life.

Hyde looked her in the eyes and as the stupid and Forman-like he sounded – he knew he wouldn't be able to ever leave her alone. She had scarcely gone to the basement, only when Fez begged her, which means he rarely saw her.

"I think we both know why, doll," he answered.

"Leave me alone, Ste –" she paused for a split second, "Hyde."

"The thing is I can never leave you alone. I can't walk away; think we both know how that worked out last time. You see I'm stuck like this, stuck on you, I guess," he told her with a small smile that he would never admit to having.

He could see a fire starting in her eyes. "You _can't_ leave me alone? Hyde, I think we both know that you can but you refuse because you're a _selfish, heartless_ pig. Or maybe you are right, you _live _to torture me, don't you?"

He frowned at her; what happened to the angel-devil he knew before? Had he broken her down to the point she could never love him? To the point she…hated him? "Jackie," he whispered softly, "my name is Steven."

And he could swear that the somehow, _someway_ the fire in her eyes could larger and took over her. "That's all you got out of what I just said?" Yet her voice was still quiet. "I refuse to call you anything but what you are, Hyde."

He raised an eyebrow, confused with her words. "Excuse me?" What was she talking about?

"The Steven I knew would never break my heart intentionally, would never marry a stripper. Never. But Hyde? He would do it in a heartbeat, with glee, if you ask me." The anger was gone from her voice and she stared straight out at the sky.

He said nothing for a few seconds but stared straight out at the sky like Jackie. There was nothing he could think to say. Stop the Zen, his heart told him, but his brain would tell him different, you don't need her. But he did, everyday of his life he needed her. He needed to hold her and feel her warmth. To hear her voice and see her smile, a real smile not those fake ones that have become so common recently. He closed his eyes and murmured softly, "I never meant to hurt you."

She turned to face him. "Then why did you?" she bit her lip to stop her tears, "and you continued to, everyday."

"It hurt, you know?"

She gave a confused look. "What?"

"When I walked into your hotel room and saw Kelso. I just couldn't take it. I had to get out. And after seeing you…here after Vegas, I couldn't take it, every time I saw you I remembered what it felt like. I wanted you to feel my pain."

"'Feel my pain'? What about the nurse? Did you ever think I felt pain when you _cheated_ on me?" He opened his mouth to respond. "Leave," she whispered. "Please?"

"I already told you I can't." He paused for a short moment, "And I already told you that you didn't mean that."

"I just want to stop feeling like this!" she almost cried.

He took her hand in his but this time she didn't pull away. "Feeling like what, Doll?"

"Pathetic. Like I'll always need you, even when you're hurting me," she felt herself telling.

He gave a small, weak smile. "Like it's all over and you don't know what to do? I feel like that every day, Doll. Every day, I need you."

* * *

_"Every day, I need you"_ she heard him say. Was it true? It had been so long since he had cared. She had almost grown accustomed to a life without him, or at least the man she had once knew. _Almost._ She missed his fingers in her hair or his arm around her waist or on her thigh when she sat on his lap. She missed the way he would whisper in her ear when no one was around. She missed having her fingers in his curly 'fro and his warm breath.

But in the past six months he had barely looked in her direction, even when he burned her. He was cold and distant to everyone; it was strange for her to see him Zen all the time.

God did she miss him.

"No you don't," she said confidently once again.

"I wish you were right but you're not, not at all." She stared into his eyes; God _his eyes_, she missed his eyes; the way they would tell his emotions and feelings, the way she knew he was telling the truth, that he cared. One jump and it would all be over. But maybe she didn't want it to be over.

He tightly squeezed her hand. "Let me take you home." And she knew he wasn't talking about her apartment with Fez anymore.

"I just can't forgive you right away, Steven."

"I'm not expecting you to."

"I…I'm not even sure what's going on now, what this is. We can't start from where we were," she whispered.

"I know."

"I may even change my mind by tomorrow, you know." And he did know, or just remembered yesterday.

"I rather you not." He wrapped his arms around her and held her; she let him, needing to feel his warmth. "You jump, I jump," he repeated to her, "Remember that." And she did.

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**I am so sorry it's been so long. Now this is the most likely end, I'm pretty sure this time, unless you would like me to continue and write about their relationship progressing and so on and on (which by the way, I would have to still think about and try writing a chapter of that before actually saying 'yes'). But I actually like this ending, leaves a chance for the future and so on.**

**I'm said this in the last 2 chapters ****Review!**** Honestly please, positive or negative. But if you're going to be negative about it, tell me what you don't like about it and how I can improve.**

**~BlueZeppelin**


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